News From the Department
N.C. Historic Sites Names Bartley New Eastern Regional Supervisor
For more information contact Mary Cook at (919) 733-7862.
(RALEIGH —May 2) — N.C. Division of Historic Sites and Properties Director Keith A. Hardison today announced the promotion of James A.“Jimmy” Bartley, of Winnabow, to the position of eastern regional supervisor. Previously the manager of Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson State Historic Site, Bartley will now supervise nine facilities across eastern North Carolina. Headquarters for the eastern regional office are in Kinston.
“The reorganization of Historic Sites’ field operations is designed to increase effectiveness and efficiency in accomplishing our mission. We are pleased to have Jimmy Bartley with his formidable experience — understanding of the development, interpretation, and operation of historic properties — in this new position,” said Hardison.
Sites supervised by Bartley include:
- Somerset Place in Creswell
- Brunswick Town in Winnabow
- Historic Edenton
- Historic Bath
- The CSS Neuse in Kinston
- Historic Halifax
- Bentonville Battlefield
- Ft. Fisher in Kure Beach
- Aycock Birthplace in Freemont
Born in Massachusetts, Bartley has lived in North Carolina since his teens, when he first went to work for the state historic sites system. His first job was at Ft. Fisher. He has also worked at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site in Asheville and the Bennett Place State Historic Site in Durham.
While at Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson, Bartley faced the challenges of interpreting two historical periods — early colonial and the Civil War. His achievements there included spearheading the preservation of Ft. Anderson (a sand fort), and supervising outdoor and visitor center exhibit design and creation, museum renovation and maintenance facility construction. Two years ago he led a successful capital campaign to raise $40,000 to purchase Ft. Anderson’s original Confederate garrison flag, a rare find now that the passage of almost 150 years has taken its toll on so many Civil War artifacts. Bartley had only six months in which to accomplish the task or the flag would have gone to another party.
About his new position, Bartley said, “It’s an exciting opportunity for me to serve the people of North Carolina through stimulating interest in the rich history of eastern North Carolina, represented by the nine state historic sites in this area. In particular, I am looking forward to rolling out the recent improvements to the Gov. Caswell Memorial and helping turn the CSS Neuse in Kinston into a major tourism destination. The local support for the Neuse project, both in the community and on the part of the historic site’s staff, volunteers, and friends, bodes well for the future of this unique vessel, one of only a very few armored Confederate gun boats still in existence.”
Bartley received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from N.C. Central University and also attended Campbell University and UNC-Wilmington. Highly experienced in supervision as well as programming, he is a certified public manager, a title he earned in 1995 after two years of supervisory study under the Office of State Personnel.
North Carolina Historic Sites is a unit of the Office of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture. A program of 27 state historic sites from the mountains to the coast, North Carolina Historic Sites can be visited on-line at http://www.nchistoricsites.org. Its programs are part of Cultural Resources’ 2007 celebration “History Happens Here”, which tells North Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom, memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call (919) 807-7385.
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